Today I had an urgent meeting with the Forestry Commission after it told local volunteers who want to be allowed to continue to look after Britain’s largest white horse at Kilburn in North Yorkshire that they may not be able to maintain the famous landmark because of health and safety reasons.
The famous landmark was created by a local schoolmaster and his pupils in 1857. The White Horse Association has now been told by the Commission that certain elements of the way they work would not be safe or practical in the future despite having been custodians of the iconic site for generations without an accident.
I want to see proper time and consideration given to this issue. There hasn’t been sufficient time for the Forestry Commission to work with local people, who have an historic connection to the White Horse, to see whether a compromise can be found. Of course I understand that the Forestry Commission has a responsibility to make sure work is carried out safely, but this is public land and a local treasure and local people should be allowed to continue to care for it as they have done for more than 150 years. I understand that the Forestry Commission has engaged consultants to conduct a survey of the site to see how maintenance work could be carried out most effectively and safely and it says it will then consult with locals to see how they can be included in these works.
There is a real danger that suffocating, needless and ill-conceived bureaucracy is becoming a deterrent to volunteering. Our agencies should support local volunteers, not sideline them. I will do everything I can, including raising the matter with the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to make sure that common sense prevails.